THE BOARD of the Carlton Football Club has ratified the appointment of Graham Wright as the Club’s Deputy CEO, as part of a leadership succession at IKON Park.
Commencing on Monday 14 October, Wright will complete a planned and detailed transition period alongside esteemed Chief Executive Brian Cook.
This process will see the game’s most successful and longest-serving CEO in Cook provide a well-considered and collaborative handover to Wright, arguably the game’s most highly regarded football administrator.
With Cook contracted until the end of the 2025 AFL season, the duration of this handover period will be ongoing in nature and centred around the long-term best interest of the Club.
For more than a year, the Club has been considering suitable candidates for its next Chief Executive, with a clear objective to complete a transition period as a key part of this timeline.
President Luke Sayers, Directors of the Club, along with Chief Executive Brian Cook were involved in this process, that ultimately saw Wright a clear preferred candidate.
With nearly 40 years of experience at football’s elite level, Wright is in rare company when considering his resume in the game.
Following an 11-year playing career with Collingwood, the 56-year-old then stepped into recruiting with the Brisbane Lions in 2004.
A return south to join Hawthorn’s recruiting and list management team followed in 2007, with Wright playing a key role in building a Hawks dynasty that would produce four premierships in eight seasons, including a three peat from 2013-2015.
Wright was promoted to Head of Football in 2018 at Waverley, before being poached to the position of Executive General Manager of Football at Collingwood, where he rejuvenated the Magpies’ football program in less than three seasons, culminating in a premiership in 2023.
“We have appointed the best football person in the country to lead our football club,” Carlton President Luke Sayers said.
“Graham’s proven ability to take a football club from good to great is unmatched and will be an invaluable asset as this club looks to evolve to the level required to contend for premierships in the coming years.
“When you add to that the detailed handover Graham will be afforded from Brian, who is this game’s most experienced Chief Executive, it places our Club in an incredibly strong position in regard to our senior leadership.
“Under Brian’s tenure across the last three years, our Club has transformed into a values-led organisation, with a clear focus on unity and excellence. This features consecutive AFL finals campaigns for the first time in 13 years, record membership, unmatched crowds, diverse business streams and a connected supporter base, which now sees the Carlton Football Club in its strongest position - on and off field - in quite some time.
“Brian’s experience in developing sustained success cannot be understated – and his willingness to be part of the process of not only appointing but transitioning the next CEO of the Carlton Football Club, shows you the deep care he has in seeing this club succeed well into the future.
“In recent years we have made a conscious decision to not only attract strong leaders to Carlton, but leaders who know what it takes to earn success. Few share those credentials to the calibre of Graham.
“To have Graham Wright and Brian Cook working alongside one another for this next period of time – as a Carlton person you could not ask for two more highly regarded individuals to guide the transition of our Club’s senior leadership."
“With Brian contracted for another 12 months, he, Graham, and the Board will implement a transition plan that best supports a succession.”
Wright said he was very much looking forward to working alongside Cook and begin his integration into all facets of the Carlton Football Club.
“I have great respect and admiration for Brian and all he has achieved and continues to achieve in our game, the chance to now work alongside him and garner his knowledge to complement my own experiences is something I am certainly looking forward to doing,” Wright said.
“I feel fortunate to be joining Brian and a high-performing executive team, that has set the Club up in a strong position for success.
“The pride and passion of this football club is incredible, so the opportunity I now have to connect with and meet the Carlton people who make this club what it is, it is one of the experiences I am looking forward to most.
“That collective desire to be great, I’ve already felt that across all levels at Carlton. To me that is as strong an indication as any that this club is willing to build itself the right way to give itself every opportunity to be successful.
“I’d like to thank Luke, Brian and the Board for this exciting opportunity.”
Cook said Wright’s appointment and detailed transition period would ensure the Club continued on its strategic path to success it has been building in recent years.
“The opportunity to execute this transition in a way that not only sets the Club up for the next 12 months, but many years after that, will be important in ensuring this club continues its forward momentum,” Cook said.
“Our strategic plan has been the cornerstone of what we have built this club into over the last three years, and I’d like to ensure Graham is in a great position, along with the strength of our high-performing executive team, to continue that work and deliver for all Carlton people.
“My objective for this club when I first joined was for Carlton to become values-led, with a clear understanding of what it required on its pursuit of excellence. There is still work for us to do yet, however I am confident in our Club and in our people - especially with the appointment of Graham - that we are well on the way to achieving our collective vision.”
